Restaurants
by yahthatshername
Summary: "How am I suppose to pay for dinner?" Rated T for swearing. Stuart/OC.


**(A/N: I really thought that Stuart needed some love. Seriously. He's one of my favorite characters of all time. But he is so underrated. I just want to give him a big hug. He needs it.**

**So, this is my big hug to Stuart Bloom.**

**Enjoy.)**

* * *

He flipped the sign over, revealing the thick, black "CLOSED" script.

Sigh.

Stuart Bloom. What was he? A movie star? A millionaire? Hell, even the title of a downgraded weatherman would make him happy.

_But all I have is this shitty comic book store._

He moved from Rhode Island to Pasadena to open this place. A place he could call his own. A place full of Hellblazer comics and superhero belt buckles.

But, I mean, come on.

_I live in the back of this place._

He grabbed the money from the register, and stuffed it into an envelope to pay for the now-overdue electricity bill.

Sigh. Again.

He took out his drawing pad. Whenever he would get into one of these moods, he would doodle. People. Places. Comic books. Anything.

He remembered the reason why he moved out here. To open a comic book store, sure. But to be a comic book creator. He wanted to draw for a living. But after getting rejected, over and over again, the comic book store became his main financial aid.

And boy, was it a shitty one.

He began sketching the Nintendo plushie he spotted from across the store, when he heard a rustle on the front door of the store.

When he looked over, he saw a women. A surprise really, he didn't really get too many women pounding on his doorstep.

"We're closed!"

The women - a redhead, he worked out from the foggy glass - replied in a somewhat frantic manner.

"I know! But can you please open the door? It's raining cats and dogs out here and I'm afraid of thunderstorms!"

As if to punctuate her words, a crack of thunder was heard, roaring loudly.

Stuart jogged over to the door and looked at the redhead.

"Please?"  
When he saw her big, wet, green eyes, he gave in.

_Such a fucking cliche._

He unlocked and opened the door.

The soaking redhead trudged in, with what seemed to be a bag full of Filipino food in her hand.  
"Thank you."  
Stuart nodded, and closed the door.

The redhead stood in front the counter, smiling wide. "Really, thank you. I was about to get a panic attack from being out there too long."

Stuart returned the smile, albeit smaller, "You're welcome. I know how bad it can get around here."

He glanced at her for a moment longer,"Oh! Do you want to sit down and eat?", Stuart said, already placing a stool from the inside of the counter to the opposite side.

She grinned again. "Thanks. Again."

She sat down and opened the tray full of chicken menudo, noodles, and rice.

While she was eating, Stuart glanced at the girl, taking her profile in. Her flaming - and probably dyed - wavy red hair was accentuated by her big, doe green eyes and a gazillion freckles. Her cotton candy pink lips were taking in the chicken menudo while she was glancing down at her iPhone.

Judging by the way her legs hung off of the stool, he guessed she was... 5'2, 5'3, maybe?

Glancing back up at Stuart, she mistook his curiosity of her physical features (and probably mental, I mean, _who goes out during a thunderstorm when they're afraid of thunderstorms_?) for hunger of the delicious Filipino food.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! Where are my manners? Do you want some?", offering a spare spork to Stuart.

"No, it's cool. I already ate."  
As if to betray him, his stomach growled. _Traitor._

She giggled. "Apparently not enough. Here."

He glanced at her wearily before shoving a piece of chicken and some rice on to his spork and into his mouth.  
"Mmm. Tastes good."

She smiled. "I know right! It's like a mouthgasm!"

_Fuck, she's one of those people who say mouthgasm? What. The. Fuck._

"Yeah, I gue-"

"OH MY GOSH! YOU HAVE A CATWOMAN BELT BUCKLE?!"

Stuart fake smiled. She hurt his head too much.

"Yeah, we do. Do you want to buy it?"  
"Nah. I already I have one. I just love them so much!"

_Her love came at the cost of increasing my migraine._

"Yeah, Catwoman is awesome."

"I know! Catwoman and Batman are my OTP's!"

_What?_

"Um... what's an OTP?"

"One True Pairing. It's your most favorite pairing! What's yours?"

Stuart paused. Did he have one?

"Uh... Well, from the Batman universe it's... Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy?"

Her green eyes grew in diameter.

"Really?! They're my favorite lesbian couple. Like, if they were a couple. But like, if Paul Dini and Robert Kanigher put them together, I totally wouldn't min-"

"What's your name?"

The redhead paused her rambling, and smiled.

"Anna, but everyone calls me Annie. What's yours?"  
Stuart returned the smile, just as wide this time. "Stuart. But everyone calls me Stuart."

Annie laughed. "Well, Stuart, you seem pretty cool."  
"Oh." _But I barely talked during this exchange._

Annie smiled wider, if that was possible. "Like, 'I would like to see you again' cool."

Stuart glanced down at the tray of food, and noticed it was practically empty.

He looked back up at her viridian green eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah. You're pretty cute. And any guy who owns a comic book store has got the key to my heart."

Stuart chuckled. "Well, you're gorgeous. And any girl who can hold a conversation about the Batman universe is a girl whose heart I wouldn't mind unlocking."

Annie laughed, again.

"Well, we can definitely talk more about Batman when we go on a date. Sahara Middle Eastern Cuisine? Tomorrow? 7:00?"

Stuart grinned. _He fucking grinned._ "Definitely. I'll pick you up at your place."

"Fantastic." Annie ripped off a sheet from the notepad sitting on the counter and wrote down her number and address.

She winked. "See you then." She grabbed her empty take out box and threw it in the trash can.

"Yeah, see you then."

Annie left the store, the chime punctuating her absence.

Stuart smiled, glancing down at the paper.

This is gonna be great.

After a moment, he paled.

Fuck.

_How am I suppose to pay for dinner?_

* * *

**(A/N: Hope you enjoyed this. I open to turning this into a multi chapter story, if I get enough encouragement. And if I remember.**

**But yeah. I don't own Stuart Bloom, TBBT, Paul Dini, Robert Kanigher, any part of the Batman universe or Sahara's Middle Eastern Cuisine. The only things I own are Annie, this plot, and an essay that's due in a few hours. Cheers.)**


End file.
